Inferno’s NFL Week 8 Picks
New England Patriots 24 vs 31 Buffalo Bills
The Patriots will be without their star receiver, Julian Edelman, this week which creates a huge gap in the New England offense. Veteran quarterback Cam Newton has struggled this season and will essentially be playing for his job this weekend. On the other hand, Josh Allen and the Bills offense has played exceptionally well this year and should be a nightmare for the Patriot defense. Bills take care of the Patriots this week at home by seven.
Tennessee Titans 34 vs. 21 Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow played brilliantly last week, but he can’t do it all by himself. The Bengals offense isn’t quite there yet and their defense won’t be able to contain Derrick Henry and the Titans’ “ground and pound” running game. Titans take this one on the road easily.
Las Vegas Raiders 27 vs. 24 Cleveland Browns
Don’t let the Raiders’ record fool you. They’re scrappy and play with a chip on their shoulder every time they set foot on the gridiron. Meanwhile, the Browns barely escaped with a win against Cincinnati last week. Baker Mayfield’s performance is still subpar and he will likely struggle against the Raiders’ defense. Yes the Browns have the better record, but the Raiders are the better team. Raiders take this one by a field goal.
Indianapolis Colts 27 vs. 20 Detroit Lions
Defense and quarterback play will be the name of the game in this matchup. Both teams have proven they can run the ball well. Surprisingly, Detroit’s Matthew Stafford has quietly put together a solid season. On the other hand, the Colts’ Philip Rivers will need to answer the bell from the start and turn in a solid performance if he wishes to pick up the W. Colts will grind out a road victory this week.
Minnesota Vikings 24 vs. 34 Green Bay Packers
Last week’s loss should have served as a wake-up call for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Yes, the Vikings are terrible this year, but given that it is a rivalry game, Minnesota might just come out swinging right out of the gate. If Rodgers and Co. can take the wind out of Minnesota’s sails early in the game, Green Bay should cruise to a win at Lambeau Field.
New York Jets 14 vs. 42 Kansas City Chiefs
No contest. Chiefs all the way.
Los Angeles Rams 27 vs. 24 Miami Dolphins
This will be a tightly contested ball game, especially considering the Rams tend to struggle when playing on early games on the East Coast. Lots of hype surrounded “Tua Time” this week, and it will be interesting to see how the rookie quarterback responds in his first NFL start. Los Angeles will struggle early, but will pull off the win late with a last minute field goal.
Pittsburgh Steelers 34 vs. 31 Baltimore Ravens (OT)
After defeating the Titans last week, the Steelers proved that they’re a legitimate threat to take the AFC title this year. Big Ben is on top of his game and the defense seems to be firing on all cylinders. They’ll be daunted with their biggest task yet in the form of Lamar Jackson and the Ravens this week. If the Steelers can keep Jackson off-balance with blitzes and disguised coverages, they should be able to prevent any imminent danger. Needless to say, this matchup will come down to the wire in overtime.
Los Angeles Chargers 24 vs. 21 Denver Broncos
Solid matchup between two young quarterbacks out in Denver. The Chargers have the better quarterback in Justin Herbert but it will be the Broncos’ Drew Lock who will have the home field advantage. If the Chargers can protect the football and play a clean game on special teams, they should escape the Mile-High City with a win.
New Orleans Saints 28 vs. 24 Chicago Bears
Michael Thomas should be back in the Saints’ starting lineup this weekend, which should help Drew Brees out tremendously— particularly on third down. The Saints offense isn’t as creative as the Rams’ offense and therefore, look for the Bears’ defensive line to come out with a vengeance after being exposed by the Rams on Monday Night Football. Brees will lead his team to victory with a last-minute touchdown drive.
San Francisco 49ers 34 vs. 31 Seattle Seahawks (OT)
The 49ers have two advantages going into this weekend. One, nine Seahawks sat out of practice this week. Two, they’ll be wearing their all-white throwback uniforms (they’re undefeated while wearing those uniforms). Also, without the “12th Man,” CenturyLink Field hasn’t been too friendly to the Seattle defense. Therefore, look for the 49ers’ offense to make a statement early in this game with tight end George Kittle and running back Raheem Mostert. However, luckily for Seattle, Russell Wilson is playing MVP-caliber football and has more offensive weapons than San Francisco. This game will more than likely go into overtime and should be decided by a last minute field goal. Niners shock Hawks on the road escape with the win.
Dallas Cowboys 21 vs. 24 Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday Night Football)
This game will have a crazy finish, and it’s not because both teams are good. Rather, it’ll be because it’s 2020 and Sunday Night Football during 2020 always seems to have some sort of crazy ending. Eagles take this one by a field goal.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35 vs. 18 New York Giants (Monday Night Football)
Tom Brady is playing like the living legend that he is. Not to mention, the addition of Antonio Brown to the Bucs’ offense only strengthens their already talented wide receiver core. Unless the curse of the Metlife Stadium turf strikes, this game is a no contest. Brady and the Bucs cruise past New York in this one.